Three Centenary University students— Pier Semanchik of Great Meadows, July Schomp of Newton, and Tess Horvath of Easton, Pa.—are spending their summer conducting field research on a shrimp species from Japan that has invaded New Jersey waterways. Working under the direction of Lauren Bergey, Ph.D.,  professor of biology and dean of special academic programs, the trio devised individual research projects occurring at several locations around the state to determine ongoing invasion population numbers and locations, as well as behavior of the shrimp and their impact on native New Jersey species.

Junior Pier Semanchik is studying two areas of interest: the effects of parasites and exoskeleton trauma on the shrimp.  She is also conducting water quality analysis on the collection sites under the guidance of Julie LaBar, Ph.D., assistant professor of enivironmental science at Centenary.  “This work really sparked my interest in water quality,” said Semanchik, an animal health major with a minor in chemistry. “One of our locations, in Tuckerton, seems to have more parasites. Water quality may have a tie to that. The ‘cleaner’ the water, the more parasites present.”

Senior Tess Horvath is examining food preferences of the shrimp and their behavior in the presence of food. Fellow senior July Schomp hopes her summer research on how the shrimp specie acclimates to the lab setting will help to advance her future career in the wildlife, fish, and game industry. Horvath and Semanchik will present their research findings at Centenary University’s annual academic symposium next spring, Dr. Bergey said.

The shrimp species, Palaemon macrodactylus, hails from Japan and was discovered six years ago in New Jersey waters by Dr. Bergey and two Centenary University students. Prior to the discovery, Dr. Bergey had attended a lecture by James T. Carlton, Ph.D., a world-renowned expert in marine biology invasions, who later helped to guide Dr. Bergey’s work. The discovery of the invasive shrimp in New Jersey waters was recorded at the Smithsonian Institution.

While no one knows how the invasive shrimp got to New Jersey, it is theorized that they arrived via ballast water in shipping vessels. Now, Dr. Bergey and her students are dedicated to exploring how their arrival and spread will affect New Jersey’s waterways. “Invasive species are a puzzle because you don’t know what they’re going to do,” Dr. Bergey explained. “They could do ecological and economic damage to the existing ecosystems or they could have no impact at all.”